a crew complement of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a crew complement of" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in contexts related to maritime or aviation, referring to the number of crew members required or present on a vessel or aircraft. Example: "The ship has a crew complement of 150, ensuring all operations run smoothly."

✓ Grammatically correct

Wiki

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The West Florida was a sloop-of-war armed, according to its captors, with several four- and six-pound cannons and carrying a crew complement of about 30.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

As designed, the ships had a crew complement consisted of 1,042 officers and enlisted men.

Wikipedia

She had a regular crew complement of 122 officers and enlisted men.

Wikipedia

It had a maximum crew complement of 26 sailors, and was in service hauling woodchips (used for paper pulp production).

Wikipedia

Her total crew complement varied, with a regular designed crew complement of 848, a wartime complement of 952, and a complement 1,229 when the cruiser was operating as a fleet flagship.

Wikipedia

The total crew complement varied, with a regular designed crew complement of 807, a wartime complement of 952, which could increase to 1,229 when the cruiser was operating as a fleet flagship.

Wikipedia

For service in Vietnam, two officers were added to the normal crew complement of eight to add seniority to the crew in the mission of interdicting vessels at sea.

Wikipedia

The offshore fleet averages crew complements of 17 to 28, depending on the size of vessel.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

The completion of the International Space Station (ISS), including the installation of experiment hardware and the presence of a regular crew complement, presents enormous opportunity to examine the longer term effects of spaceflight and microgravity on living systems.

BMC Plant Biology

Her crew complement consisted of 58 officers and 1,022 men.

Wikipedia

The author Robert Lee surmised that Teach and Hands intentionally ran the ships aground to reduce the fleet's crew complement, increasing their share of the spoils.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about maritime or aviation contexts, use "a crew complement of" to clearly specify the official or standard number of crew members required or assigned. For example: "The aircraft has a crew complement of five, including two pilots and three flight attendants."

Common error

Avoid using "a crew complement of" in contexts where "crew" is not literally referring to a team operating a vehicle or vessel. Instead, opt for phrases like "team size", "staffing level", or "number of personnel" for general situations.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a crew complement of" functions as a noun phrase, specifying the number of personnel assigned to operate a vehicle or vessel. Ludwig shows that it's used to provide precise details about staffing.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Wiki

37%

Science

31%

News & Media

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

7%

Reference

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a crew complement of" is a noun phrase used to define the specific number of crew members assigned to a vessel, aircraft, or team. Ludwig AI classifies it as grammatically correct, although its frequency is rare. It's best suited for neutral to professional contexts, particularly in maritime, aviation, and operational settings. When used, it provides precise details about staffing. When a similar meaning is needed but in a context that is not related to teams or vessels you may want to pick an alternative such as "crew size of" or "number of crew members".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

crew size of

Focuses on the numerical value of the crew.

number of crew members

Directly states the quantity of crew members.

staffing level of

Replaces "crew" with the more general term "staffing".

personnel allocation of

Emphasizes the allocation of personnel.

team size of

Uses "team" instead of "crew", suitable for non-maritime contexts.

workforce of

Refers to the working group's total.

roster of

Highlights the list of personnel.

group of

A more general term for a collection of people working together.

squad of

Implies a smaller, more tightly-knit group.

unit of

Refers to a structured or organized team.

FAQs

What does "a crew complement of" mean?

It refers to the number of crew members assigned or required for a particular vessel, aircraft, or team.

How can I use "a crew complement of" in a sentence?

Example: "The ship has "a crew size of" 20, ensuring all operations run smoothly."

Which is a better alternative to "a crew complement of" in a non-maritime context?

In general contexts, alternatives such as "team size", "staffing level", or "number of personnel" might be more suitable than the more specific phrase "a crew complement of".

Is "a crew complement of" formal or informal?

It is generally considered neutral to formal, especially in technical or official documentation related to maritime, aviation, or other operational contexts.